Nursery children to be banned from playing under tree... in case they damage its roots

The cedar tree in Cambridge where council officials want to stop children playing, claiming they will damage the tree roots

Council officials want to ban nursery children from playing under a tree - claiming they will damage the roots by trampling the ground.

Officers are applying for a permanent preservation order on the 30-year-old cedar to safeguard it from damage.

Outraged parents have called for common sense and say the children - aged two to four - exert too little pressure to cause any harm.

The move follows a Cambridge City Council report into the health of the tree at the Under Fives Roundabout Pre-School in Cambridge.

It argues the tree - which covers half the playground - will suffer if the ground is "poached and compacted" by "constant activity" which could stop water reaching the roots.

The report recommends: "Ideally, the children would not be able to play beneath the tree."

Poached ground is commonly caused by cattle cutting up grassland with their hooves near gates and feeding points, exposing the soil leaving it open to erosion.

The council served a tree preservation order on the school on June 9, 2008.

A planning committee meeting will be held on Wednesday to hear objections and decide whether to confirm or reject the order.

The pre-school moved to its current site on the grounds of a primary school in September. Previously the tree was outside school grounds by a public footpath.

Eileen Hori, chairman of the nursery's management committee and parent, said the tree is now better protected than ever.

She said: "Before the tree had branches broken off and was played under and climbed on by children and adults.

"People littered on it, dogs and cats went to the toilet on it and tramps slept under it - and yet the tree still thrived.

"The tree is beautiful and a great asset to the school. We are taking care to protect it whilst enjoying it."

Mrs Hori said the pre-school has a maximum of 34 pupils with no more than 12 playing outside at anyone time.

She added: "It's utterly ridiculous to restrict the kids like this. They will have a tiny amount of space to play in." As a compromise the pre-school wants to sow the ground under the tree with flowers and use it as a quiet area where children can listen to stories.

David Hargreaves, vice-chairman of the pre-school's management committee, said it is happy to protect the tree but does not want "harsh restrictions" on action.

He added: "It's deeply frustrating. We don't think two and three year olds are going to exert too much pressure. We just want the children to be able to enjoy the tree."

The council's principal arboricultural officer Diana Oviatt-Ham said the children could compact the earth and starve the roots of water.

She added: "They were advised right from the start when they were interested in the site that there were going to be constraints on the use of the tree." She said that if the order is upheld council planning officers will work with the school to agree on exact restrictions.

Mrs Oviatt-Ham added: "If the order is upheld we hope we will be able to reach a satisfactory compromise as to how the area is used."

The controversial council report also warns the tree might need to trimmed if children are allowed to play underneath.

It states: "In addition, cedar trees shed spiky needles and exude resin, which could result in complaints from parents and an application to trim the tree to reduce the nuisance."

David Howarth, MP for Cambridge, who lives near the pre-school, said: "Children have played underneath trees for centuries without serious harm coming to either.

"I am sure some sensible arrangement can be reached."

Cedar trees are coniferous and closely related to Firs. They are native to the mountains of the western Himalaya and the Mediterranean region.

They typically grow up to between 30m to 40m. The leaves are evergreen and needle-like.

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Nursery children to be banned from playing under tree... in case they damage its roots